 |
| Chief Dr. Chris Onyekachi Simon |
The 41 years old financial giant,
who owns a chain of blossoming companies operating in real estate development,
construction, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, international trade, information
and communication technology, was interviewed on the most popular radio station
in Lagos, Wazobia FM, a few days
ago. He shared how he suffered before making it.
He said, “My
mother was a very hard working woman. She sold fish in Lagos. I am proud to say
that my mother was a fish seller. I can remember that I was hawking fish. I
also sold Kerosene. When limca came out, I started selling it together with
goldspot. It was not easy, but what is more important is that whatever you are
passing through, remain focuses and well determined.
“When I was in school, I
had to drop out because things were so bad. That was during the 1999 riot
between hausas and yorubas and many people were killed at Mile-12. So things
were so bad and I dropped out of school. Later, I went back to school and
started hustling.
“The truth is that
nobody will help you if you do not help yourself. It is the people that have
helped themselves that other people help. That was how I went into the street
and started hustling.
“What did I not do? I drove
a commercial bus in this Lagos. After driving bus, I bought my own bus and gave
to some boys to drive for me. In 2002, I had four buses. During the time of
all-routes, I drove commercial bus from Ketu to Obalande to Ajah to Lagbasa to
Maroko to Yaba to Oyingbo. There are things I have done in the past.
“Some people who see me
today say that this man is enjoying, that he is driving expensive cars and
living in a posh house, that he is a billionaire, that he is this and that. Yes,
I have paid my dues. I worked so hard. I did not come so easy. I did not just
fold my hands.”
One of his companies, Total value Integrated Services Limited,
is in charge constructing virtually all the market building in Lagos. As a philanthropist,
his NGO, COSIM Foundation, has
awarded the contract of constructing road networks in his community, given scholarship
to indigent students and given grants to entrepreneurs.
No comments:
Post a Comment